South Africa's DA seeks cabinet reshuffle, asks Ramaphosa to move Steenhuisen

The Democratic Alliance has asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to move John Steenhuisen out of the agriculture portfolio, a request that exposed fresh tension inside South Africa’s governing arrangement and signaled that cabinet positions remain part of active coalition bargaining. The party wants Steenhuisen, its former leader, shifted to deputy minister of trade, industry and competition instead.

The proposal mattered because Steenhuisen is not just another minister. He was appointed minister of agriculture from 3 July 2024, shortly after Ramaphosa announced a new cabinet on 30 June 2024 following the 29 May 2024 election. That cabinet was built around the Government of National Unity, a deal that brought together 10 parties after nearly a month of negotiations and gave the DA six ministries and six deputy ministries.

The latest request suggested the DA is trying to adjust its footprint inside the coalition rather than simply defend the original division of posts. Agriculture is one of the most politically sensitive jobs in South Africa, tied to land, food security, farming communities and long-running debates about economic transformation. Any shift there would carry symbolic weight well beyond a single portfolio, especially in a government that still needs to show discipline and coherence to markets, voters and its own supporters.

The reshuffle discussion also pointed to possible performance concerns. Local reporting linked the push to dissatisfaction with Steenhuisen’s handling of foot-and-mouth disease, a problem with direct consequences for livestock producers and agricultural trade. Bloomberg reported that the DA’s internal review was led by Ryan Coetzee, the party’s head of strategy, and said Alexandra Abrahams would move to deputy minister of electricity under the proposed changes.

For Ramaphosa, the request underscored how dependent the GNU remains on ongoing accommodations between the African National Congress and its partners. The coalition gave South Africa a first post-apartheid national executive built on shared power, but it also created a system in which ministerial jobs can become pressure points whenever parties want to show strength without risking collapse. If Ramaphosa approves the DA’s request, the move would signal that cabinet adjustments can be managed as routine coalition maintenance. If he resists, the dispute could become an early stress test of whether the GNU can absorb disagreement without weakening reform momentum or investor confidence.